The Quality & Safety Update provides health care professionals with up-to-date information on current quality improvement projects, resources and quality reporting. The newsletter also highlights announcements and upcoming events that could benefit your organization.

MHA Sponsors Missouri Perinatal Quality Collaborative Learning And Action Network

Staff Contact: Alison Williams

With the launch of the Missouri Maternal-Child Learning and Action Network in 2018, MHA has served as a lead organization in the state, impacting the care and outcomes of mothers and infants. The MC LAN was envisioned to support alignment, awareness and synergy of stakeholder efforts to improve the health outcomes of mothers and infants through one year of life. More than 50 stakeholders representing clinical roles, professional organizations, government agencies, community-based organizations and birth workers are represented.

Much of this effort is funded by contract-based sources to complement the fiscal support MHA provides. As of Dec. 1, MHA received additional funding through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to advance efforts to implement evidence-based practices, specifically for the mother-baby dyad affected by substance use disorder.

Missouri birthing hospitals and associated stakeholders currently may participate in several patient safety bundles, with additional quality improvement collaboratives expected to launch in the future.

• MO AIM: Caring for Pregnant and Postpartum Persons with SUD
• MO AIM: Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy
• MO AIM: Obstetrical Hemorrhage
• MO NAS: Implementing Eat, Sleep, Console Assessment for Infants affected by SUD

Learn more about how MHA is advancing maternal-child health. Additional resources are available on MHA’s website.

MHA Welcomes New PQC Project Manager

MHA is pleased to welcome Katie J. Brassfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CNL, as the new Perinatal Quality Collaborative Project Manager. In this role, Katie will partner with member birthing hospitals on the implementation of the AIM Patient Safety Bundles and other evidence-based care initiatives by providing education, resources and technical support.

Before joining MHA, Katie served as a Clinical Development Specialist in Labor and Delivery at Northside Hospital Atlanta where she contributed to quality improvement, staff education and The Joint Commission compliance activities. She brings experience specifically related to the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health patient safety bundles.

Katie is thrilled to be part of the MHA team and describes this work as essential and meaningful to improve maternal and child health.

Washington County Memorial Hospital Recognized For Innovation And Quality Improvement

Staff Contact: Jackie Gatz

Washington County Memorial Hospital, a critical access hospital in Potosi, Mo., was recognized with MHA’s Aim for Excellence Award. The award recognizes progress toward the Triple Aim — better health, improved care and lower cost. The 2022 award, announced at MHA’s 100th Annual Convention, recognized WCMH’s rapid and organizationwide response to rethink care processes while maintaining or improving value-centered care quality.

WCMH faced profound staffing and financial challenges during the pandemic. To improve value for patients, and increase short- and long-term operational sustainability, the hospital identified an urgent need for a community care delivery model. Using innovative monitoring and staffing systems, the hospital was able to relieve pressure on the incumbent workforce and increase staff resilience, use technology to support care improvement, and ensure meticulous stewardship in improvement measures. Despite the significant changes, quality measures either were stable or improved after the model was adopted. A video highlighting the hospitals’ achievements is available.

The 2023 Aim for Excellence application portal will open later this month.
Watch your inbox for additional details.

Application Deadline Nears For MHA’s Lean Six Sigma 2023 Cohort

Staff Contact: Jessica Stultz

MHA is pleased to announce the opportunity for Lean Six Sigma certifications at a reduced cost. The LSS certification combines live, virtual training courses with individualized coaching sessions as participants move through the phases of DMAIC: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control. Training sessions are held throughout six months as new skills from each phase are applied to a challenging issue within each participant’s health care organization. Each training course then will be followed by an implementation phase to apply the knowledge and skills learned toward a required hospital-based improvement project.

Applications for both green belt and black belt certifications are due Wednesday, Jan. 25. Learn more about LSS on MHA’s website.

Education

Jan. 24 | Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Affinity Group: Preview HIDI’s New Hospital-Specific Health Equity Dashboards

• 9 to 9:50 a.m. | Virtual Event | Register

Jan. 31 | Orientation for Emergency Preparedness Professionals: Eight-Part Virtual Series

• 9 to 10:30 a.m. | Virtual Event | Register

April 27 | Caring for the Mother-Baby Dyad Affected by SUD: Advancing Care & Family Support in Missouri

• 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. | Columbia, Mo.

On-Demand Education

The MHA Health Institute offers cost-effective learning opportunities to both members and nonmembers to help them understand and address emerging issues, learn and share best practices, and comply with legal and regulatory requirements. Learn more.